Rotary engine.



A. E. GREENE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1910.

Patented Nov.'-7, 1911.

2 SKEETBSHEBT 1.

zoLUMulA PLANOORAPH C0,, WASHINGTON, D. c.

A. E. GREENE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIGATIOH FILED mm: 2, 1910.

1,007,866. Pat n ed 1 01.7, 1911.

2 SHEET8 SHEET 2.

AMBROSE E. GREENE, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO.

ROTARY ENGINE.

ooaseo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

Application filed June 2, 1910. Serial No. 564,560.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMBRosn E. GREENE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to rotary engines and similar machines, and its object is to pro vide a simple and compact form of engine, which shall be durable and efficient in operation, and can be manufactured at a low cost.

In many known forms of rotary engines and motors, a serious defect arises from the fact that their operation involves the use of cam-actuated reciprocating elements, which, from their very nature, are'ineflicient and short lived.

My present invention contemplates the elimination of all reciprocating motion, and the substitution therefor of a simple oscillating motion, and the further elimination of all cam action from the operation of the enine.

g One feature of my invention comprises a rotary engine in which a rotary shaft is mounted concentrically within a cylindrical casing or engine cylinder, said shaft being provided with one or more rotary pistons which are fixed thereto, and also with one or more rotary pistons which have a hinged relation to said shaft, said pistons contacting with the inner surfaces of the cylinder.

A further feature of my invention relates to means for alternately accelerating and retarding the angular velocity of one or more rotary pistons, which are hinged to the rotary shaft of the engine, with relation to the angular velocity of one or more rotary pistons which are fixed thereto.

A further feature of my invention relates to the location and construction of the inlet and exhaust ports of the engine, whereby the propelling fluid under pressure is automatically admitted to the engine for a portion of the stroke and then cut off, the shaft being propelled during the remaining portion of the stroke by the expansive force of the propelling fluid.

My invention further embodies certain structural details whereby it may be embodied in a steam, air, gas or other fluid-propelled engine or in a pump, blower, or the like.

, lating link 7 and the rod 6.

These and other features of my invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is an end elevation of a horizontal rotary engine, embodying my invention, with one of the cylinder heads thereof removed and a portion broken away to show the interior construction of the engine; Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a central, longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The engine casing consists of a hollow cylinder 1 provided with cylinder heads 9, 9, which are secured thereto by means of the bolts 11. In the cylinder 1 are the inlet and exhaust ports 15 and 16, respectively.

A rotary shaft 4:, located concentrically of the bore of said cylinder and extending longitudinally thereof, is provided with suitable bearings in the cylinder heads 9, 9. Mounted on the shaft 4 are the pistons 2 and 3. The piston 3 is fixedly secured to the hub P of the shaft 4:, preferably by means of a screw 8. The piston 2 is hinged on the shaft4lby means of the collars 17, 17, to which it is secured by means of the screws 8 8 Said pistons 2 and 8 are hollow and have radially extending openings 13 on both ends thereof. The pistons are of a size adapted to fit accurately within the cylinder 1 and between the cylinder heads 9 and 9. They are preferably provided with packing strips 14: of the usual construction.

The cylinder heads 9, 9, are provided with opposite circular troughs or channels, which are adapted to receive, and form bearings for the rotary rings 5, 5, said channels being located eccentrically with respectto the bore of the cylinder 1. Extending between the rings 5, 5, and having their ends secured thereto, are the rods 6 and 6 which extend through the radial openings 13 and 13 in the 'end walls of said pistons. Pivoted upon the rods 6 and 6, within the hollow pistons, is one end of each of the oscillating links 7 and 7 respectively. The other ends of said oscillating links are pivoted to the pistons 3 and 2 by means of the wrist pins 10 and 10 ,'respectively. It is apparent, therefore, that the piston 3 is connected to the rings 5, 5 by means of the wrist pin 10, the oscil- Likewise the piston 2 is connected to the same rings 5, by means of the wrist pin the oscillating link 7 and the rod 6*. Therefore, if rotation be imparted to the shaft 1 and piston 3, they will impart rotation to the piston 2; or if rotation be imparted to the piston 2, it

y will impart rotation to the piston 3 and shaft 4.

Since the axis of rotation of the rings 5, 5 and the pins 6, 6, carried by the rings, is eccentric of the axis of rotation of the shaft 4:, pistons 3 and 2, the pins 6 and 6 will alternately be carried closer to and farther away from the center of the shaft 4:. Thus, when the rod 6*, carrying the piston 2, has reached a point farthest away from the shaft 4:, the rod 6, carried by the piston 3,

will have reached a point closest to the shaft, and consequently the angular velocity of the piston 2 will be less than the angular velocity of the piston 3 and shaft 4. This may be more readily perceived when it is noted that the angular velocity of the rings 5, 5, with relation to the angular velocity of the shaft t'and piston 3, depends upon the distance the pin 6 is from the center of rotation of the piston 3 and shaft 4:; and that the angular velocity of the piston 2, carried by the pin 6*, depends upon the distance the pin 6 is from the center of the shaft 4.

The structure thus far specifically described sets forth the preferred embodiment of my invention whatever may be the use to which the structure is put.

The operation of the engine, as a steam engine, may be described as follows. Assume that the rotary parts are moving in a clockwise direction and that the position of the pistons 3 and 2 is slightly in advance of their position as shown in Fig. 1, so that steam entering the inlet port 15 and channel 15" would pass into the space between said if pistons. The steam pressure would tend to carried with the rotation of the piston 2.

The steam pressure between the pistons will be constant until the piston 3, in its rotation, closes the channel 15, cutting off the inlet of steam. From this point the pistons will b e-propelled by the expansive force in the steam already admitted. During this operation the angular speed of the piston 2 has increased to its maximum, which is reached when the pistons are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, when the 7 rod 6? is closest to the shaft 4 and the rod 6 is farthest away from said shaft. The speed of the piston 2 will then decrease until its angular velocity is equal to that of the piston 3, that is, until the rods 6 and 6* are at equal distance from the shaft 4. At this latter point the lower side of the piston 2 will uncover the channel 16* and permit the exhaust of the expanded steam. \Vhen the pistons are in this position they are on a Y dead center, but will be carried past such position by the momentum gained in the first operation. When the dead center is passed, the piston 3 will open the inlet channel 15 and the operation just described will be repeated except that the piston 3 now rotates the piston 2 instead of vice versa. The cycle of operations is completed in one revolution, or by the time the pistons have assumed their original positions, as shown in Fig. 1.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a cylinder and its cylinder heads, of a rotary shaft located con centrically of said cylinder and having bearings in said cylinder heads, a plurality of rotary pistons mounted upon said shafts, a pair of interconnected rotary annular rings fitting in annular channels provided in the opposite cylinder heads, said channels being located eccentrically of the bearings of said shaft, and oscillating links connecting said pistons to said rings.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a plurality of concentrically mounted rotary elements, of mechanism for alternately accelerating and retarding the respective angular velocities of said rotary elements during each complete revolution, said mechanism comprising a pair of rotary rings, at the opposite ends of said elements, having an axis of rotation eccentric of the axis of rotation of said rotary elements, a plurality of rods extending between and secured to said rings, and oscillating links pivotally connecting each of said rods to a corresponding one of said rotary elements.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a plurality of rotary pistons, of a mechanism for alternately accelerating and retarding the respective angular velocities of said pistons, said mechanism comprising a pair of interconnected rings mounted to rotate on an axis which is eccentric of the axis of rotation of said pistons, and oscillating links connecting said pistons and said rings.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a cylinder and its cylinder heads, of a rotary shaft passing concentrically through said cylinder, a pair of rotary pistons mounted on said shaft, one of which is fixed thereto, the other being hinged thereon, mechanism for varying the respective angular velocities of said pistons,

said mechanism comprising a pair of rotary rings mounted to rotate in annular channels provided in said cylinder heads eccentric of the bore of said cylinder, a pair of rods eX- tending between and secured to said rings, and oscillating links mounted within said pistons and connecting said rods to said pistons.

5. The combination with a hollow cylinder and its cylinder heads, ofa rotary shaft extending through said cylinder concentrically of the bore thereof, two pistons mounted on said shaft and fitting within said cylinder, one of said pistons being fixedly se cured to said shaft and the other having a hinged relation to the shaft, a pair of opposed interconnected rings mounted to rotate in annular channels provided in said cylinder heads eccentric of the bore of said cylinder, and oscillating links connecting said pistons and said rings.

6. The combination with a hollow cylinder and its cylinder heads, of a rotary shaft extending through said cylinder concentrically of the bore thereof, two pistons mounted on said shaft and fitting within said cylinder, one of said pistons being fixedly secured to said shaft and the other having a hinged relation to the shaft, rotary annular rings fitting in grooves provided in the opposite cylinder heads, said grooves and rings being eccentric of said rotary shaft, and means for connecting said rings to both of said pistons, whereby, upon rotary motion being imparted to one of said pistons, a rotary motion in the same direction but at a different velocity will be imparted to the other of said pistons.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this first day of June, A. D. 1910.

AMBROSE E. GREENE. Witnesses:

GEORGE E. FOLK, ALFRED H. MOORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Jiatents, Washington, D. C. 

